Since 1970, April 22 has served as a global call for climate action and an annual reminder of the urgency of protecting our planet. This Earth Day’s theme is “Our Power, Our Planet,” which underscores the role we all have to play as climate advocates and stewards of our environment, despite changing political administrations and institutional limitations. It also denotes the many powerful, and renewable, tools already at our disposal for achieving our shared sustainability goals.
“Environmental stewardship has never depended on a single administration, institution or election,” to quote the official Earth Day website. “It is sustained by the daily decisions of communities, educators, workers, innovators and families who understand that protecting the places they live and work is both a responsibility and a long-term investment.”
Here at State of the Planet, we’ve been covering the conversations and advances in climate literacy and advocacy for years. Check out some of our recent stories and keep reading State of the Planet for ongoing coverage this Earth Month and year-round. Find out more about the many events we have lined up throughout the month of April in honor of Earth Day here.
- Five Ways To Make Your Life More Sustainable: Ready to go green(er) this Earth Day? Here’s a place to start.
- Energy Efficiency Begins at Home: A Conversation with Alexis Abramson: The Climate School dean discusses how she first became interested in energy efficiency and how homeowners can minimize their carbon footprint and energy bills.
- How Columbia Students and Local Activists Are Co-Creating Climate Justice: A course aims to teach students the importance of effective climate-adaptation planning through collaboration with local community partners.
- Why Climate Finance Is Key To Fighting Climate Change: Massive sums of money are needed to mitigate climate disasters and to prepare for what’s on the horizon.
- Why the Time To Go Solar Is Now: An open letter by a graduate of Columbia’s M.S. in Sustainability Science program on the benefits of installing solar panels in your home.
- How We Move Forward: A Chat with Climate School Professor Sheila Foster: A Q&A with the accomplished legal scholar and educator known for her pioneering work on environmental and climate justice.
- COP30 Is Over. But for the World’s Most Vulnerable, the Crisis Is Ongoing. Anyieth Philip Ayuen, a graduate of the M.A. in Climate and Society program, on the importance of keeping resilience, literacy and survival at the center of global climate policy.
- Columbia Climate School’s Global Impact Scholars Confront Urgent, Real-World Problems: Faculty and students worked together on ideas for climate solutions, which were then presented at the Climate School showcase as part of Climate Week NYC.
“Progress does not happen in silence. It happens when people show up,” EarthDay.org declares. How will you show up this Earth Month (and beyond)?
